The Mad Masquerade
by Primadonna MBC
Summary: Story inspired by OVA Nunally in Wonderland. The Mad Hatter/Lelouch is put in charge of the Annual Wonderland Ball. Just exactly what does the mad man have planned for Wonderland's event of the year? And who will attend? It's more promising than it sounds! Please read! :)
1. Character List

**A/N: Hello everyone. I wrote this short story based on Code Geass's OVA Nunnally in Wonderland. It's a really funny one, but if you haven't seen it, and you just read it, and you can get confused, so THIS isn't a chapter. It's a character list. The next chapter is the REAL chapter, so please don't be put off by the fake first chapter!**

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass**** and ****Nunnally in Wonderland**** are not my property.**

Character list:

Lelouch vi Britannia: Mad Hatter

Suzaku Kururugi: Knight of the White

C.C.: Chesire Cat

Kallen Kozuki: March Hare

Milly Ashford: Duchess

Rivalz Cardemonde: Dormouse

Anya Alstreim: White Rabbit

Shirley Fenette: Fawn

Li Xingke: Humpty Dumpty

Jeremiah Gottwald: Jabberwocky

Villetta Nu: Griffin

Rolo Lamperouge: Sea Turtle

Kaguya Sumeragi: Tweedle Dee

Empress Tianzi: Tweedle Dum

Lloyd Asplund: Carpenter

Rakshata Chawla: Caterpillar

Kaname Ohgi: Lobster Man

Sayoko Shinozaki: Dodo

Cecile Croomy: Walrus

Nina Einstein: Duchess's Cook

Schneizel el Britannia: King of Red

Kanon Maldini: Red Queen

Cornelia li Britannia: White King

Euphemia li Britannia: White Queen

Gino Weinburg: Knight of the Red

Marianne vi Britannia: Queen of Hearts

Charles zi Britannia: King of Hearts

**A/N: Please continue on to Ch. 1!**


	2. The Invitation

**A/N: Well, thanks for continuing onto here. I hope you enjoy this!**

**Disclaimer: Code Geass, Nunnally in Wonderland, and Alice in Wonderland (what Nunally in Wonderland was based off of) are not my property.**

Ch. 1

"My, my, what do we have here?" said the Chesire Cat. Taking the elaborately decorated envelope, she opened it and pulled out a piece of ivory card stock. On it, in gilded calligraphy, it read:

_The Mad Hatter_

_Hereby demands your attendance_

_at the_

_Annual Wonderland Masquerade_

_Held at Witzend Manor_

_On the Day After Three Suns Have Set_

Smirking, she lie down on her bed, the only object in the room not covered with an empty pizza box. Talking to herself, she said, "So it's that time of year again… I do wonder how the mad man will execute the ball. The last time, I remember how he nearly managed to convince the White Queen to behead all of the forest animals."

There was a knock on the door, and she said, "I can't be bothered to open the door for you."

Swinging open, the unexpected visitor made himself known and the Cat muttered, "Speak of the devil."

"The devil?! Cheshire, have you gone _blind_? I'm not satanic, I'm MAD!"

Laughing himself silly at his own joke, he stooped down under the low doorway to fit both his height and his black-and-red, elaborate top hat. Pointing the end of his Christmas-themed walking stick at the bored Cat, he said, "I came to make sure you'll be coming to the Mad Masquerade!"

"I don't see any incentive for me to go."

"I thought you would say that, and I ordered the Duchess's cook, Nina, to bake plenty of pizzas to accommodate even _your_ appetite."

Unimpressed, she questioned, "F. L. E. I. J. A. pizzas?"

"Only the most powerful at the Masquerade! After all, only F. L. E. I. J. A.'s strength can match my madness!"

"That's true…" she mused, and the intruder swept away the 5 stacked pizza boxes that only had grease stains and crumbs left to the wooden floor and sat down, crossing his legs. In disgust, he asked, "Have you never thought of cleaning your house?"

"I will clean it. When it grows messy enough for me to not be able to stand it."

He sighed in exasperation at her stubbornness to tidy up her cottage. Speaking in a tired voice, he asked, "Are you coming or not?"

"Are you visiting other people?"

"There's no _need_ to visit the others, because they'll all be coming."

"When is it?"

"Three sunsets. That should enough time to gather a costume."

"Hmph. I can see right through your lie. You could've held it tonight, and everyone would have been prepared. It's only to create anticipation."

"If you're going to host the party of the year, you might as well do it properly, and with theatricality!"

"Do you as you please, Hatter."

"Are you attending?"

"….You still haven't motivated me enough to go."

"There will be pizza. Not the Duchess's cook's inedible one, but _real_ pizza, of all types and sizes. Just for you."

"You're bluffing."

"I'm not. So what's your decision?"

"….We'll see, Hatter."

The tall meglomaniac stood up, as if emphasizing his height, and walked to the door. Before leaving as suddenly as he had entered, he said, "If you don't come, then all of the pizza will go to waste. See to it that you attend, Chesire."

Opening the door, he left and banged the door close hard enough for pizza boxes to rattle. Yawning, she stretched, not affected in any way by the abrupt visit and said to herself, "Well then…. In three sunsets….."

Getting up herself, she left her home and made her way to the Duchess's cottage. Hanging upside down from the roof, she peered in from the window, and saw the March Hare, the White Rabbit, the Duchess herself, and her temperamental cook, Nina. The Rabbit and the Hare were already dueling to the death with their deadly weapons, while the Duchess was yelling at Nina to stop cooking ridiculous, inedible things. It was normal however, as bedlam usually always occurred at the cottage.

On the dining table lay an unfolded invitation which Chesire could see to be the same invitation that she had received, along with an open book of dress designs. Deciding that this was answer enough for whether or not the Duchess would be attending, she hopped down and started on the path to see what the Walrus and the Carpenter were up to. Along the way, she met the Fawn.

In her soft voice, she said, "Oh hello there Chesire."

"Fawn."

"Shirley. Please call me Shirley, and not by what I am."

"If I were calling you with what you are, I would be saying teenage-girl-dressed-as-a-fawn, not as Fawn."

"It's the same thing. I have a name, just like you Chesire."

"C2. I'm C2."

"And I'm Shirley."

The two simply stared at each other, until the girl with the orange hair asked, "Were you also invited by Hatter?"

"That's none of your business."

"You must've been. You and Hatter are always going around together."

Sneering, she replied, "Don't tell me you_ like_ him."

"What? Why would… Why in the world would I like him?"

"Oh, but you're blushing. Surely, you like him."

"I… I don't."

"Then you don't mind my telling him that you detest him?"

"Wha…. No! No, don't say-"

"Well, which one is it, then Fawn? Do you like the mad man or not?"

"I like him…. I like him as a friend!"

"Nothing more?"

"Y-yes."

"I see…. Well, seeing as how you wasted my time…"

Without finishing her sentence, the Cat left the befuddled Fawn and meandered to the King of Heart's castle. Taking a short break, she lazily sat in a high tree branch, her tail waving back and forth slowly, when she heard a commotion beneath her. Gazing down, she saw the Hatter and the Jabberwocky facing off. In a loud voice, the Jabberwocky yelled, "I'll come to your Masquerade and destroy it, along with you!"

"My, my, Jabberwocky, what a _terrible_ temper you have. No wonder nobody gives a damn about you."

"Wha…. People _do_ care about me! The Queen of Hearts does!"

"She's only using you, my hated acquaintance. Really, you would be far better off without you fraternizing with that deranged woman."

"Deranged woman?! How dare you insult her!"

"How dare I…. Of _course_ I dare! I'm the Mad Hatter, the creator of everything majestic in the millinery field! I've destroyed and re-created the world of hats! I've made an empire, Jabberwocky! And what have you done? Become embarrassed and humiliated. Why, even the youngest _flamingo_ knows how you fell from your glory."

"I have no-"

"I've no time for you at all. Chesire, if you're just going to sit there and become amused while I try to shoo this little nuisance away, I'd rather that you come and accompany me on the rest of my journey to the Knights."

"I thought you were only visiting me." she said while hanging off from the branch by her tail. They were both eye-level, although one was hanging upside down. He said, "I thought so too, but the Knight of the White wanted to see me about the Masquerade."

Letting go, she landed on her hands and cart-wheeled so that she was on her light brown high heel boots. Grumbling, the Hatter said, "You nearly kicked me in the face."

"Shame I didn't make any impact." she replied. The two started walking in the direction Chesire had been heading in. In no time at all, they arrived at the impressive castle of cards. The King of Hearts appeared at the top and rumbled in a clearly heard voice, "Hatter and Cat! What is your business here?"

The tall man in the elegant and adorned swallowtail coat didn't answer and only tightened his grip on his cane due to his anger towards the king. Chesire answered in his stead with, "We need to pass through, King of Hearts."

"PERMISSION DENIED!"

"Afraid someone will find out your dark secret?"

"NONSENSE!"

"Everybody already knows how your wife is so controlling of you, despite your show."

"THOSE ARE LIES WORTH OF BEHEADING!"

"Oh REALLY?!" said a woman's voice. The gates opened and revealed a raven-haired woman in an elaborate dress. Brandishing a fan in the shape of a heart, she asked, "Are you saying it's a _lie,_ Charles?!"

"No, Marianne." he answered meekly.

"Good. For a moment, I thought you had denied who wears the hearts in the royal household. Now, Hatter, you said that you wanted to pass through?"

"Yes, your Highness." he answered. Smiling, the Queen of Hearts declared, "Then only a game of croquet will suffice!"

"PLEASE STOP!" said a new voice. Chesire, annoyed by how everything was getting out of hand, grew exasperated and grabbed the man by the collar. Before they left, they could see the White Queen insisting to the Hearts royalty that croquet should not be used to decide what someone could do, while the White King attempted to stop her.

"Really, you're no good at anything unless I help you."

"I'm capable of doing many things by myself very well, thank you very much." he replied while dusting off his coat. Fixing his hat back into it's proper position, he announced, "Now that we've gotten past those argumentative Kings and Queens, we need to go to the Knights."

"I still don't know why I decided to come with you."

"You came to see how everyone is excited for the Mad Masquerade, so you can say that you'll come while saving your dignity and pride!"

"Hardly."

"On we go, Chesire!"

He began to make his way down the dirt path with a Cat on his heels, shaking her head at his obliviousness at her adamant decision to _not_ go to the ball, despite it's offers of pizza and seeing firsthand what the man had planned for the biggest event in Wonderland.

**A/N: Please review! And please support ****_The Mad Masquerade_**** and look forward to the next chapter!**


	3. An Attempted Persuasion at Witzend Manor

**A/N: Okay, well this chapter is just a bunch of nonsense written at like midnight, so please excuse any SERIOUSLY non-sensical things.**

**Disclaimer: Code Geass, Nunnally in Wonderland, and Alice in Wonderland are not my property.**

Ch. 2

"STOP! KNIGHT OF RED, YO-"

"Oh, lighten _up_, White Knight. You're so serious all of the time."

"Stop! You're about to do someth-"

The Mad Hatter knocked open both double doors to the Knight Hall, where all Knights stayed. In order to call more attention to himself, he yelled, "WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

He was successful, and everyone in the cavernous room stared at the milliner. The White Knight, furious with what the Red Knight was about to do, rushed to the loud visitor and said, "Hatter! It's a good thing you came! The Knight of Red is about to eat one of Nina's dishes! Do something!"

"Red Knight…." he said.

"Yes, Mad Hatter?" the blonde answered. In his hand, he held a glowing cupcake, looking incredibly ominous. The raven-haired man said, "I suggest you put that…. Strangely luminous…. Bakery treat down. It looks extremely dangerous and not to mention explosive."

"Oh not you too. I thought you were on my side, what with your personality."

"Well…." he wavered on his decision against the waiting Red Knight.

"Well?" the blonde asked. The Hatter said, "Well….. Well…. I suppose a small bite wouldn't hurt? Would it, Chesire? No, I'm sure it wouldn't."

"Oh, you three need to grow up. Give it here, Red Knight." interfered the Cat. The person in possession of the dangerous culinary concoction shook his head and backed away from the girl who was advancing towards him. Holding out a hand, she repeated, "I said to give it, Red Knight. Obviously, you're not mature enough to handle a dish such as-"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flying, spinning object and ducked. The U. F. O. smacked the Knight in the hand, and the food went flying. As it arched in the air, everyone's eyes followed. It wasn't until they realized that it was about to make impact with the floor that they started to move. The White Knight started to run towards the cupcake, when the Red Knight tackled him, yelling, "HOW COULD YOU SMACK IT OUT OF MY HAND?!"

"DON'T JUST TOUCH ME ALL OF A SUDDEN!" he shouted back. They both tripped and fell onto the carpeted floor in a heap. The Mad Hatter was laughing, saying, "Oh isn't this so much fun, Chesire?!" and threw his hat in an attempt to catch it. It missed and simply landed in the aquarium of fishes who were in shock and wonder from viewing what their owners were doing. The Cat herself ran, and jumped onto the Hatter's head. Pushing off of him, he face-planted into the ground while she caught the confection.

"Excellent work, Chesire!" said the White Knight. He had fought off the Red Knight and was brushing off the imaginary dust on his stark white military uniform. Walking towards her, he put out a gloved hand and said, "Now, if I could have that please." Dropping the cupcake, all three pairs of eyes were glued on her when she stepped on the dangerous explosive. All three men went completely berserk.

The brunette started yelling at Chesire, asking if she were crazy, at which the violet-eyed man started saying how he was the maddest out of the entirety of Wonderland, and not the Cat. The blonde Knight ran to the her and asked if she were okay, or if she were harmed in any way. Thinking that enough was enough, she grabbed the anxious Red Knight and knocked him into the hatless Hatter. The White Knight rushed to help his friend.

'Finally, some peace and qu-' her thoughts were interrupted.

"So, White Knight. Now that the situation with the F. L. E. I. J. A. cupcake's been figured out, I would like to ask you, "What is your question?"?"

"Ah, yes. My question. For the Mad Masquerade, I'm attending as Knight of the White King and Queen. So must I also follow the dress co-"

"SIR, YOU DO ME WRONG!"

Startled, the military man stepped back from the outburst. Swinging his walking cane so that the tip was right in front of the surprised Knight's nose, he said to the man, "Of _course_ you have to follow the dress code! Why else would you come? It says a _masquerade_ ball, not just a ball. Ugh, those parties are ever so _boring_. Why not dress up as someone else, another being, a _symbol for justice_? Oh, I quite like that, a symbol for justice. Just _think_ of what you could _do_ with that kind of identity, they're so innumer-"

"Hatter." reminded Chesire. Stopping his one sided conversation, he cleared his throat and said, "Oh yes. Almost lost myself right there. But the answer to your question is yes, White Knight. Masquerade, or don't even bother showing up! Now. We must be on our way. Let's go, Chesire."

Leaving a blinking Knight in his wake, the Mad Hatter left the building and asked, "Would you mind accompanying me to Witzend?"

"I actually do-"

"FANTASTIC! You know the way, don't you? Yes, I remember when you had to stay at the Manor for some time… What was it, a snake that got you?"

"A warthog, and I would have been fine that time if it weren't for that meddling Jabberwocky."

"Give the poor creature some lenience. After all, it would be hard to control your temper when you've fallen to utter disgrace, and not to mention that the Griffin left him for the Lobster. I mean, the Jabberwocky losing to the Lobster. Just the scandal alone… Tsk tsk. And now he's gotten involved with the Queen of Hearts. Anyways… Have you decided to come?"

"Where?"

"The Mad Masquerade! Why do you think I've been walking around all day?!"

"Oh, _that_."

"Yes, _that_. Are you coming to _that_?"

"You should really stop that."

"Oh! You said it again! _That_!"

Laughing to himself, he ran away to avoid the swipe of Chesire, but he hadn't even run that great of a distance until he had his hands on his knees and panting heavily.

"You don't get out much, do you?"

"Sewing… Hats doesn't…. Require physical…. Strength."

"No, actually I'm sure it doe-"

"No, no. It doesn't. I know. It doesn't."

She only stared at him, and he moved on, literally. The woods gave way to a large opening, which the man stood in front of and said, "Witzend Manor!"

"I still can't believe you _own_ this small castle."

"I know, I can hardly believe it too! In fact, I almost never sleep here. I always sleep in my workshop."

"Your infamous workshop, the secret one that no one has ever been able to find-"

"Except for you. _How_ you managed to is completely beyond me, but-"

"Don't worry. I have no need for any one of those three hundred-forty-"

"Three hundred-seventy."

"Three hundred-and-seventy-eight hat designs and sketches you keep in there."

"Good. Well then, now that we're inside, shall we head to the kitchen?"

Incredibly large and incredibly well stocked, the mad man's kitchen was king among kitchens. As cavernous as it was, it was gleaming brightly. The Cat hoisted herself up onto one of the many islands in the room and asked, "You still employ the Dodo?"

"She does excellent work. If need be, I can lend her to you so that you can… Make your home habitable once again."

"I'm fine with my own housekeeping skills, thank you very much. Why did you bring me here, Hatter?"

Opening a cabinet, he pulled out a thick book and set it down besides the Cat. Flipping its pages, he said, "This is the recipe book for the menu for the Mad Masquerade."

"And?"

"I dare say even you'll be tempted to come after seeing it."

"You can dare all you want. I'm not coming. And why did you show me this? The Wonderland Ball's details aren't supposed to be shared with anyone by the host."

"Amazing how you always pick this one occasion to showcase your knowledge on Wonderland's social customs."

She smiled and he replied, "It's our little secret."

"Our little _billionth_ secret. I feel as if I know you almost as well as I know myself."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Chesire, dear."

"Dear?"

"Well, I'm not calling you sweetheart."

"Why would you even call me dear in the first place?"

"I don't see the point in this conversation."

"Well I do! Why would you call me dear?!"

"Chesire, you're making a mountain out of a molehill again."

"I am _not_."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No." she said.

"Yes." he replied while nodding his head as if to emphasize his stand in the childish argument.

"Hatter, you fool. You'll never grow up, will you?"

"What?"

"Why do you have to keep wasting my time with these kinds of immature fights?"

"Why do I have to keep…. YOU STARTED IT FIRST!"

"Here's another prime example. If you really think you're the greatest out there, you should become more _mature_. Act more your age."

"So should you. Stop holing yourself up in that pizza-black hole of your's that you call home and come out and socialize with the rest of us! You'll easil-"

"No I won't. I belong up in the trees, watching all of you while you run around, crashing into each other."

"That was one of the silliest…. Never mind. I'm not going to go there today. I'm tired. Exhausted, actually, no, more like fatigued… No, that's not quite the word either, it's… It's…."

"Goodbye, Hatter."

"Where are you going?! We're not done yet! I command you to stay here!"

"That doesn't work on me. You should know that by now."

"Polka dots and stripes!"

"And you should really consider fixing that habit of yelling mismatching fabric patterns when you're angry. You sound deranged."

"Deranged? Why, that's what I am! Deranged!"

She walked down the stairs onto the gravel on the road leading to Witzend Manor. He ran out after her and shouted, "DON'T FORGET! IT'S A MASQUERADE!"

She waved without looking back, and he was left alone to wonder if the wave meant she was coming, or whether she was declining. Shrugging, he went back inside and said to himself, "I'll just find out in a few sunsets." and shut the thick, oak doors close to prepare the last minute details of the Maddest Party of the year.

**A/N: Who knows if Chesire will come... And who knows what'll happen if she does.**


	4. An Excited Hatter

**A/N: A doozy of a chapter, but I hope you enjoy. It was fun to write **

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass****, ****Nunnally in Wonderland****, and ****Alice in Wonderland**** are not my property.**

Ch. 3

All around Wonderland, people were preparing for the Ball. The Queen of Hearts chose the costume for both her and the King, while the White King and Queen spent time outside in their private gardens, excitedly talking about what the Mad Hatter could have planned. The monarchs of Red also discussed the possible party plans, but in a more grave way.

"Kanon, do you think it's possible the Hatter will come up with a better Ball than I did last time?"

"No sire, of course not. Nobody will ever be able to. Besides, your Redness always won against the Hatter in chess."

"Yes, but he's always beaten me in croquet. The blasted man must have some sort of secret weapon, something that always makes me lo-"

"Sire, please calm down. It wouldn't be good to anger and end up killing millions of forest animals again."

"You're right, you're right."

"Now, your Redness, we must go to the couturier to get your measurements."

"Oh, yes of course, the couturier… Did you tell him to make sure the suit is red?"

"Of course, your Redness."

On the other side of the forest, the Carpenter and the Walrus met with the Griffin, the Sea Turtle, the Lobster, the Caterpillar, and the Fawn. Sitting in a wide circle in a clearing, they all asked each other what they were wearing, how they were going, and who they were going with. The Walrus asked the Carpenter, "Will you be going with the Duchess? Since she's your fiancé."

"I think she'll be fine. She has Nina to accompany her. What about you, Walrus?"

"I think I'll just stay on the shore for this one."

"That's a surprise. I thought you would be going with the White Knight."

She blushed so that her cheeks were the same shade as the shirt she was wearing and asked, "Why in the world would I go with the White Knight? He has his military obligations to carry out."

Her constant companion shrugged and said, "Well, I don't know. I just thought you wanted to. Why won't you come though?"

"I just don't want to."

"Then can you help me?"

"With what?"

"Come with me to the Masquerade."

"What are you saying?"

"Be my escort. The Duchess won't want to. She wants to go with her friends, and as a result, I'm all alone. It would be a shame if the Carpenter were to show up alone. What do you say, Walrus?"

"Well…."

"Wonderful! I'll come by tomorrow a little before the sun sets."

"Wai-wait a second, Carpenter, I never said-"

"It's too late now."

As she tried to persuade him to let her stay home, the Fawn asked the Sea Turtle, "And what about you, Sea Turtle?"

"Me?"

"Are you staying home also?"

"Well, I have a weak heart, so I need someone to take care of me at the Ball. But the Griffin is going with the Lobster, so-"

"Then _I_ can help. I can give you a medicinal pill I made, to strengthen the heart immediately. I can give it to you, but you just need to answer some questions. And sign this liability waver, agreeing that I'm not responsible for any mayhem and/or side effects that occur." cut in the Caterpillar.

"Um… The last person that you used as your test subject grew larger and smaller in size…"

"Yes, well, that was what was _supposed_ to happen. And nothing bad happened to her. She only got lost in a non-existent world for a while."

"!"

"Sea Turtle, I think you should carefully think over of accepting the Caterpillar's offer." adviced the Fawn. The downcast reptile nodded in agreement, and to see him smile, she said, "But I'll go with you."

He raised his head and asked with hopeful eyes, "You will?"

"Why not?"

"Oh, thank you Faw- my heart!"

"I think you should calm down before your heart stops."

"I… I think it already has…. But thank you!" he said in a strained voice, but he was smiling in gratitude.

In another part of the group, there was a considerably less peaceful conversation happening. The Griffin asked the Lobster man, "Are you going to go to the Mad Masquerade?"

"Yes." he replied.

"Are we going together?"

"It's up to you."

"What time are we going then?"

"It's up to you."

Irritated by his half-hearted responses, she stamped on his foot and yelled, "THIS IS WHY I LEFT YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE! I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT THE JABBERWOCKY!"

Her short tantrum shaking him out of his spacey-ness, he yelled, "Wait! Griffin, wait! I'm sorry!" to her back. He chased after her into the trees, and the Caterpillar said, "Geez, they're always doing that, the Griffin snapping and the Lobster saying that he's sorry. You would think they would get tired of that problem, but noooooo-"

"Sea Turtle, I'm going to go now. I'll see you at the next sunset!"

"Bye, Fawn!"

Slowly, the group dissipated, with the Carpenter and the Walrus still arguing and the Caterpillar muttering about a new experiment while she blew into her hookah. The Fawn walked by the Duchess's loud cottage, and found the Chesire Cat once again looking in through the windows. The dormouse was on a knee, holding one of the Duchess's hands and seemed to be begging him to let her escort her to the Masquerade. Dishes and furniture seemed to be flying everywhere, a result from one of the many wars the March Hare and the White Rabbit were eternally locked in. Nina, the F. L. E. I. J. A. "cook", was screaming at the two bunnies, to stop destroying the house. The Cat was looking in on this with amusement, when a voice nearly made her lose her composure.

"Chesire, why don't you go inside?"

"What?"

"You're always standing outside and just looking in. Just open the door and go inside."

"Why would I want to do that?"

It was her turn to say, "What?"

"I _said_, why would I run to go inside and join those lunatics in their ranting and raging?"

"Well… Because… You look lonely."

"Lonely?! I'm not lonely."

"Oh, riiight, you have the _Hatter_. Did you know, I think the March Hare likes him, and he likes her back? Oh my goodness, just think. What if they get married and have children? What in the world would their offspring look like? Half-hares?"

"He doesn't like the March Hare."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Because he's too in love with his hats."

She waited for the Fawn to retort something back along the lines of, "You're just saying that because you like him." but she didn't. To her surprise, the deer said, "You may be right."

"But that doesn't exclude you from my suspicions…" she added.

"What suspicions? When have I ever interacted with you enough for you to become suspicious about me?"

"You like him, don't you?"

"Who, Hatter?"

The Fawn nodded, and Chesire smirked.

"Just because you like him doesn't mean everyone else is in love with him."

"I told you, I don't like him!"

"Your actions say something different. And actions speak louder than words."

"You… You…."

"And once again, you've managed to waste my time again."

She walked away, leaving behind a gaping Fawn. Once out of the forest, she met the two Knights. The White Knight said, "Hello, Chesire." while the Red exclaimed, "HELLO, CHESIRE, YOU BEAUTIFUL FELINE!"

She met both with passive facial expressions, and the White Knight said from his white horse, "Where are you headed to, today?"

"I'm going to Witzend."

"Why? You went yesterday, didn't you?"

"I did. But I need to talk to him. Again."

"Shall I give you a ride?"

"No."

"Why not? It'll be a lot faster on horse. Even you can't deny that."

"Yes, I can't deny that, but I don't want to. Horses make me queasy with all of that rocking and-"

"He won't rock, I promise."

"I'm skeptical."

"Why?! I mean, I would understand if you were cautious of what the Knight of Red would say, but I'm true to my word! I keep promises!"

"Well, actually that one time-"

"ONE TIME! I JUST NEEDED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM! ONCE! FIVE YEARS AGO!"

"Okay, okay, calm down. You're so excitable."

"Excita….. I can't ever comprehend _how_ Hatter puts up with you."

"He's mad." she replied simply.

Shaking his head, he held out a hand and said, "Please, though. I want to help. I have to go to Witzend anyhow."

"Why?"

"The man was so busy with going home that he forgot his beloved hat."

"He left his _hat_?"

"I know, I was surprised too. He must've been really hyped up about something."

Inside her head, she thought, 'The party. That's why. He's all over the place, it would be weird for him if he remembered everything.'

"But anyways… Chesire, take up my offer. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Me, throwing pizza up all over your uniform."

At the thought in his head, the knight winced, but continued to urge her to accept his offer. Sighing, she consented and mounted the horse behind him. The Red Knight said, "I thought we were going to see their Rednesses."

"_You_ are. I'm not."

"But…"

"Knight of Red, I don't even serve the same monarch as you. Why would I go with you?"

"I don't know. Imagine my surprise when you suggested to go with me."

"I never suggested it, you just thought we had a conversation where I did, which by the way, was non-existent. And then you promptly dragged me out of my room, set me on Lancelot, and just begin to gallop away before I could untie my hands and feet!"

"Desperate needs call for desperate measures."

"What type of need would require you to kidnap me?!"

"The desperation of…. Loneliness."

The White Knight could only stare at the blonde Knight in disbelief. The kidnapper said, "Well. I must go. Goodbye White Knight! Cheers, Chesire!"

He rode away and the two watched him. When the rambunctious knight had turned the corner, the White Knight asked, "Shall we go then?"

Chesire only nodded, and as promised, in no time at all, they arrived. Already, there were evident signs of preparation. The sun was setting and darkness was soon chasing the day's light away, and every one of the hundreds of windows were lit up. They could see the Dodo in one room on the third floor, washing the windows from the inside. Climbing up the stairs, the White Knight banged the heavy metal knocker in the shape of a top hat. The door opened moments later, revealing an incredibly disheveled Hatter.

Out of his customary red-and-white diamond checkered pants and yellow vest, he had on a pink dress shirt and khaki pants. His shoes were off, and his dark green tie was hanging around his neck as if he had loosened it from frustration and then just taken the entire thing off eventually. Behind him, his unannounced visitors could see the matching white jacket from his outfit crumpled on the carpet, along with several other papers and fabrics.

"Hatter, are you working on a hat we don't know about?" asked his friend. The violet eyes of the milliner turned to the brunette and said, "What?"

"I said, are you working on a new hat?"

"No. NO! THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO BE DOING THAT!"

"Okay, okay. I was just curious. You're always this unorganized and messy when you're sketching a new hat, that's why."

"…Why are you here?"

"To return this to you." the Knight replied. Handing him the mostly black top hat, the Hatter took it and only stared. Suddenly, his breathing quickened, and the White Knight said, "Okaaaaaay Chesire… I'm going to leave him to you."

Backing away, when he got to the stairs, he jumped down them and the Cat said, "Oh no you do-"

"SORRYIJUSTREMEMBEREDSOMETHINGIMPORTANTTODO!"

"Oh melkotltuffin. Get up, Hatter!"

"I can't, I'm _tired_. I'm fatigued, _exhausted_, _beat_, _drained_, _done in_, _worn ou_-"

"No you're not. You're just mad."

"Mad? My dear Chesire, I'm simply just too bone-weary to even be _mad_. I'm no longer the Mad Hatter, I'm just the Hatter."

"You're still the Mad Hatter, you fool. Nobody can beat you when it comes to utter and completely nonsensical madness.

"O~h Chesire, if you've only gone through what I have in the past day, you wouldn't be saying that. Why, I bet you even your ears would be wilting and the strips on your thigh-high socks' stripes would have faded."

"Stop complaining and get up. I need to talk to you, and I'm not about to do it with you pouting and whining on the floor like a child. You're a grown man, now stand."

"…. Very well."

He stood up, and soon they realized how close they were to each other. Chesire studied the white button on his shirt, until the Hatter stepped away, which didn't take long because he also felt a little uncomfortable being that close to her. He cleared his throat and asked, "What is it that you came all the way here?"

"…. Let's say…."

"Let's say…." he prompted while picking up the papers littered all over the entrance hall. She finished her sentence softly, and he shuffled the papers into a neat pile. He said, "I couldn't hear you. What did you say?"

"Let's say that… I do go to the Masquerade."

He studied her from across the room and she continued, "Let's say that I do…. So…."

"…I….I have a few dresses that I made. Do you want to take a look at them?"

Slowly and hesitantly, she nodded in reply and a wide smile formed on the Hatter's tired face. Throwing the papers up in the air, he ran to her and asked breathlessly, "Does that mean you're coming?!"

"Well… Well… Let's just say that it's not a definite no…."

"Oh, Chesire, you sly girl! Making me unable to sleep because of your refusing... Goodness knows what would have happened if you never changed your mind!"

"I never said I changed my mi-"

"You wavering is as good as you agreeing! You'll be so excited like everyone else once you see the dresses that I have!"

She sighed and asked herself what she had gotten herself into. Abandoning the papers, he said, "Follow me!"

They left the Manor through the back entrance and went into the woods. Eventually, the forest stopped and let out into a meadow. A lone house stood in the middle of the tall, waving wildflowers. As he made his way to the building, he said behind himself, "Honestly, I'll never know how you found this place. I made sure it was in the most secretive place possible."

"It's in the middle of a clearing, Hatter."

"A wise man once said, "It's so overt, it's covert."."

"Hmph."

He unlocked the door and struck a match to light the lanterns around the first room. The light revealed sketchbook upon sketchbooks of what appeared to be designs and notes of hats, along with what appeared to be hundreds of bolts of all varieties of fabrics. Sewing kits were strewn here and there, along with mannequin head busts that wore several hats, some stacked so high, the hat on top seemed to brush the lofty ceiling. Chesire curiously came in after him, and closed the door. He warned, "Don't touch anything."

She didn't listen to him and picked up a large hat with a wide, black brim with a trim of white cloth on the circumference. Black feathers decorated the millinery creation and easily complemented the white English netting. Abruptly, she felt something sharp penetrate her finger and she dropped the hat in surprise. The Hatter caught it with his cane and said, "I told you not to touch anything. Look, now you're bleeding. Hold still."

Rummaging around, he found a small strip of cloth and tied it around her ring finger. Satisfied, he said, "There. All better."

"It's not all better. It could get infected, and then-"

"You can walk back to the Manor again then. I'm not. Because I came here to offer you a dress."

She said nothing in return and he asked, "Have you ever been in here?"

"I could have broken in, but…. I just didn't for some reason."

"Re_markable_. Even you know how much I value my hats."

"Who wouldn't? All of the devotion and unwavering love, not to mention all of the doting you do on the inanimate objects. No wonder you're the _Mad _Hatter."

He waved away her musings and pulled her into a spacious room. There was absolutely nothing in this room _but_ mannequins upon mannequins wearing clothes. There were dresses as he had promised, but there were also skirts, pants, shirts, ties, coats, belts, and all sorts of articles of clothing. In wonder, she inquired, "Is _this_ why you seem to disappear all of the time?"

"This is only the tip of the iceberg, my dear Chesire. I knocked out the walls…. Er, I asked the White Knight to knock out the walls in this part of the building and used up all of the space for clothing. The other half is for hats. There are only four other rooms left, the bathroom, a small bedroom, a kitchen, and an extra supply room."

"You really love being a hatter, don't you?"

"You might even say I became mad for it."

Laughing at his own joke, he walked to a few of the mannequins and said, "Just wander around a bit and tell me which ones catch your eye. We'll try them on and see which one suits you best."

She only stared at him in disbelief because of his unexpected generosity, and he looked back at her.

"Why? Do you not like any of them?"

"No… Just… Why would you let me just take one of your gowns?"

"Because…. Well, call me mad, but I designed them all with you in mind."

**Ending note: *****cue dramatic music***** Oh that Mad Hatter…. Look forward to the next chapter please!**


	5. Too Much Force Can Lead To Awkwardness

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass****, ****Nunnally in Wonderland****, and ****Alice in Wonderland**** are not my property.**

Ch. 4

The Hatter sat on the floor, cross-legged, while his back was to the Cat, who was changing into a dark green floor-length dress with a gold trim on the top of the bodice. The same trim crisscrossed her waist, pretending to be a belt. It wasn't until she was wearing the gown when she finally took in what the man had said. In a loud voice, she asked, "Wait, what did you just say?"

Twisting his back so he could look at her, he replied, "You look wonderful, Chesire!"

"Answer me, Hatter. What do you mean by you had me in mind while you were designing all of these?"

"Excellent question, Chesire…. One I've been trying to answer for a couple of years."

"_Years_?"

Standing up, he walked to the quizzical Cat and circled her, pinching the dress's fabric here and there. When he had finished three revolutions around her, he said, "It looks admirable on you, Chesire dear, but…. This isn't the one. I just know it. You can do better than this one."

"Hatter, why have you been creating all of these while thinking about me?"

"I already told you, I don't know the answer to that question."

She muttered, "One may think you were in love with me."

"Hmmm… That possibility can't be entirely ruled out."

For the seemingly hundredth time that day, she stared at him incredulously. The Hatter ceased unzipping a dress off a mannequin and asked, "Why do you keep looking at me like that? All day long, you've been giving me looks."

"What do you mean by, that can't be possibly ruled out?"

"It means what it means. It's not impossible that I could have fallen in love with you."

"…."

"Chesire, it may have escaped your notice, but I also happen to be a _man_, a human being with feelings and the capability to love."

"I never said you weren't."

"Then why are you so surprised? Don't tell me….. Do _you_ love _me_?"

"Do I look crazy to you?"

"You never know…. Now. What about this one?"

He held up a solid red, short dress the color of ripe strawberries. There was a long chiffon train, hanging from her waist to the floor. She shook her head and said, "Are you trying to make me look like a Christmas tree? No greens or reds."

"No greens and reds…. Hmmm…. Well, I have this one. What do you think?"

This time, he displayed a white, strapless dress. The dress had several sheer, white layers overlapping, and a belt around the waist made of ribbon. A black bow with long trailing ends was the only decoration on the otherwise completely blanche dress. Before she could say anything about it, he put it back onto the mannequin and said, "No, wait…. Not your taste. I can see it all over your face."

As he went through his creations, she went to go sit down on the lone white-and-gold antique French loveseat sofa. She carefully watched him showcasing each of the candidates for her dress and ignored his small speeches about each and every one. Instead, she contemplated on what the Hatter had said. That he was also a person with feelings, and had the potential to fall in love with someone, not just a hat. She also thought about what her disposition was regarding him. It wasn't hatred; it was far from hatred, but…. She couldn't quite place her finger on it. The word was hiding behind a mental curtain in her mind, but she couldn't draw it back and see what it was.

Suddenly, she realized the Hatter's deep purple eyes staring at her, not even 2 inches away. Starting, she asked grouchily, "What is it?"

He cocked his head to the side and asked, "What's making you reflect so deeply?"

"None of your business. Hatter, I want to leave. I've changed my mind. I've decided not to go."

"NO!"

Taken aback by his forcefulness, she stayed where she was instead of getting up. He said, "You can't go. If you go and you don't come…."

"Why do you want me to come so badly?" she asked.

"I…. I don't know. All I do know is that you have to come, Chesire, or I'll be devastated."

"Devastated is a strong word."

"It's the only word strong enough to express how large my grief will be if you don't come. Please come, Chesire."

Silence passed for a long time, until she said, "….fine."

"Really? You promise not to take back what you said?"

"Yes."

"You swear?"

Sighing, she replied, "Yes, I swear."

Out of nowhere, thunder roared causing for the lanterns to flicker. The Hatter went to a window and peeked around the curtain. He said, "Looks like a storm. The land is preparing itself for the Masquerade!"

"In what way?"

"It's cleansing itself, so that it can look it's best. Which reminds me, we need to go back to finding a dress for you. Get up, you Cat."

Reluctantly standing again, she sluggishly walked towards the army of mannequins. The milliner grabbed her hand and tugged her forward, but he had used too much force. Despite her tail, Chesire became unbalanced and tripped into the excited Hatter. Being a little unstable mentally and physically underwhelming, he fell with the Cat following. When the last inanimate model had given into gravity, groans of pain could be heard beneath the feline. Looking down, she found herself lying on the Hatter's chest.

"Ugh… Why does it hurt so much?"

"You're so weak."

"I happened to cushion you from the floor, which is why _I_ got all of the impact. It's also why you're completely fine. Ow, the floor hurts so much."

Sitting up on the varnished wooden boards that acted as a floor, she gave a hand to the moaning man. He grasped her hand and she pulled him up roughly until he was also sitting. For some reason though, she also overexerted and the resulting effect was Chesire's nose touching the tip of the Hatter's nose. Cross-eyed from trying to keep his nose in view, her eyes were drawn down to his lips. She had a foreign urge to just kiss him, but she restrained herself, reminding herself who the man was.

The Hatter in turn, had a less calmer train of thought. Inside of his head, fireworks were going off and butterflies were doing the Irish reel in his stomach. Completely short of breath, he looked down at the top of Chesire's head. He could tell she was completely tense, and he had to admit to himself, he was also undergoing tension. Then, something is his mind came out from the mental closet where he put all non-millinery related thoughts into. It caught him off guard, and as a result, he acted on impulse.

Nervously grabbing her chin, he tilted her face up so that she was looking up at him. Having no idea of what he was doing, he bent his head closer and angled himself. Chesire only focused on his eyes, which were slowly closing, when the door opened. They flew open and looked past her to the door. He let go of her and when he did, she felt an odd disappointment settle in her stomach. Hurriedly standing up, the Hatter said, "Dodo. What brings you here?"

"I brought supper for you and Chesire."

"O-oh. Thank you, Dodo."

Raincoat rustling, his maid set it down on a rare empty spot on one of the many tables in the room and asked, "Is there anything you would like for me to get?"

"No, we're fine."

Nodding, she left the two alone. Pretending to not notice the awkward air between them, the Hatter walked towards the try and said, "Oh, she got us pizza, Chesire."

She ignored his façade and asked, "Were you…. Were you about to kiss me just now?"

"What do you mean? What did we just do?"

"You were holding me and-"

"We tripped. That's all I remember." which in a way, was true. The moment he had moved to act upon his impulse, his mind had blanked out completely. The Hatter said, "I think it would be better if we eat while it's hot, wouldn't it?"

"No. We need to pick the dress _now_. So I can go home sooner."

"We don't have to pick it tonight."

"Yes, yes, we do."

"Well, if you say so. Don't you have any that you want to try on? All you've seen so far are _my_ suggestions."

Chesire stood up and looked at the fallen dummies. Then, in the far corner, she saw it. Moving towards it, the Hatter understood and said, "Oh, _excellent_ choice."

While she changed into it, the Hatter munched on a pizza slice. She told him that she was done changing her clothes and he turned around to see what she looked like. The Italian pie slice fell from his hand as he took her in. She frowned and said, "You just wasted pizza."

"Chesire…."

"What is it?"

"You look…"

"It is that bad?"

"No… No! You look absolutely ravishing."

She looked down, pretending that she was looking at what she was wearing, when in reality, she was hiding the blush that crept onto her cheeks.

"You're being serious?"

"Of course! I dare say you'll be the most beautiful tomorrow night."

"I seriously doubt tha-"

"To me."

"Huh?"

"N-nothing. Now, it looks a little loose on you. Let's fix that up."

Wiping the pizza grease from his fingers and onto a towel, he grabbed a measuring tape and went to her. Chesire stood stock still as he placed his feet in front of her smaller feet and said while unrolling the measuring tool, "First, let's start with your waist."

He loosely wrapped his arms around her waist and put the tape around her. Pulling out of the "hug", he cinched it tightly. In the process, he accidentally pulled her closer and immediately said, "Oh, excuse me." Writing down the number mentally, he continued to take her measurements. The Cat was feeling extremely tense by how close he was, and how often he was accidentally tugging her closer to him. She closed her eyes so that he was blocked from her view when she heard a, "Um…"

"What is it?"

"I, uh…. I need to get the last measurement…"

"And?"

"….it's for the bust."

They both blushed and he wordlessly offered her the measuring tape. Grabbing it, she turned her back on him and wrapped the tape around her. Stepping quickly behind her, he caught her hands and guided them so that she was correctly measuring herself. Looking down at the number, he noted it before running off to write it down on physical paper. Chesire was left feeling a little more than awkward.

"Take the dress off and lay it down on an empty spot and I'll tailor it for you."

Doing as he said, she changed back into her more customary outfit and went to the waiting pizza box at once. She finished off its contents quickly and asked, "How long will it take?"

"It shouldn't take too long. It'll be ready long before the party begins. Why? Do you want to go home now?"

"Yes but…."

Her gaze travelled to the window, where the rain was beating the sense out of the glass. Understanding, he suggested not unkindly, "Why don't you stay here until the rain stops?"

She nodded and he got up from his seat. Going to the large fireplace, he coaxed a flame to catch the fortunately dry logs on fire. Chesire took a seat on the empty loveseat in front of the crackling bonfire and became immersed in watching the flickers of fire dance. Slowly, she began to feel drowsier and drowsier, until she gave in and fell asleep.

**A/N: It's almost time for the Mad Masquerade! I'm so excited!**


	6. Preparation

**A/N: I realize that I uploaded a chapter already yesterday, or the day before if I were being technical, but I just couldn't sleep without writing this chapter. Which is why it's really early in the morning. Which is why I'm asking you to please be easy on any grammatical errors, spelling errors, things that don't really match up (although they should). Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Code Geass, Nunnally in Wonderland, Alice in Wonderland are not my property.**

Ch. 6

Groggily, Chesire opened her eyes. Outside, the sun was invading the darkness of the large room she was in. She heard rustling and realized she was leaning on something warm. Looking to her side, she saw the calm, sleeping face of the Mad Hatter. He had a thimble on his finger, with a sewing needle in his right hand. The dress she had chosen was stretched out in front of him and it appeared to her that he had fallen asleep while tailoring her dress.

His head fell and he jerked upright. Blinking away sleepiness, he yawned. He said, "Good morning, Chesire. I'm sorry I couldn't offer you a bed to sleep in. You looked so comfortable last night, so I sat down next to you while finishing your dress, but I suppose I fell asleep."

"Is it done?"

"I need you to try it on, but it should. Why don't you try it on after breakfast?"

"Breakfast?"

"Yes, Chesire. Don't tell me you skip breakfast."

"Well…."

He folded the gown neatly and put it into a light blue rectangular box. Putting the lid on gently, he tied it close with brown ribbon, creating a large bow at the top. Holding the box, he said, "Well….? Shouldn't we go?"

She exited the cottage and he followed, carefully locking the door. They walked through the meadow silently, and they reached the back entrance of Witzend Manor with speed. Opening the large door, he set down the wrapped box down on the table in the kitchen and asked, "What do you want to eat? Excluding pizza."

"Where's Dodo?"

"She probably left to make sure everything is in order for the Masquerade tonight."

"So you're making us breakfast? Are you sure you're sane enough to handle that?"

"I happen to be an excellent and well-accomplished chef, on account of living by myself for so long. What do you want?"

"Surprise me. Let's see if you can back your boasting."

She looked out the window and her mind took her back to the night before. The Cat had actually woken up at one point in the middle of the night. The rain had stopped coming down and it was completely silent in the room except for the crackling of the slowly dying fire. Next to her was the Hatter, who was fast asleep and slumped over the arm of the sofa. She studied his sleeping face and admitted to herself that the mad man was, in fact, a handsome man despite his odd personality and tendencies.

He stirred in his sleep and shifted his weight so that his head was on top of the Cat and he was leaning on her. All traces of drowsiness were eradicated from his touch and his warmth was prominently demanding her attention. Finally, due to his body heat and the near darkness, she had been lulled back to sleep.

"Chesire?"

"Hmmm?"

He motioned to the plate which had two slices of sandwiches.

"What is this?"

"Pepper-jack panini."

"This is your display of excellent cuisinary skills?"

"No. This is breakfast. It shouldn't be too heavy, especially with the Masquerade later on today."

They silently ate their breakfasts and when they were done, Dodo came back. She cleared away the dishes while the two went upstairs. The Hatter was carrying the box with the dress, and he opened the large double doors leading to the master suite.

The walls were an ivory color, with most of the furniture varying shades of brown, tan, and gold. There was a mammoth wooden backing to the bed that had design of a large tree carved into it in gold The bed itself boasted a king-sized mattress that had a large, ornately embroidered gold duvet, along with several gold, white, and tan pillows. At the foot of the bed was a medium-sized tan sofa. Across from the sofa was an elegant oak chair that was cushioned with a pillow that was the color of Chesire's eyes. The chair was in front of a long mahogany desk that was entirely scattered with pens, pencils, and more sketchbooks. A chandelier glittered from the bright light coming in from the huge windows. They were partially closed from the drawn curtains made of sheer ivory fabric, while the floor was carpeted plushly. The two bedside tables each had a lamp and several sketchbooks on it.

"You can afford all of this?"

"You'd be shocked to hear how much people are willing to pay for one of my hats."

"But this is such a ridiculously large bed for one person."

"Well, who knows. Maybe I'll get married one day."

The last comment brought on another silence that was clumsily handled by the surprisingly wealthy man. Clearing his throat, he said, "I'm just going to wash up and change. Why don't you also change into the dress and see if it fits?"

"Oh, fine."

Before he could go into the bathroom, there was a knock. He said, "Come in." and the Dodo entered. She said, "Master, the decorators and the chefs have arrived."

"Excellent. Have they started?"

"Yes. I set them to your plan. All of the other workers are due to come in about 10 minutes."

"Magnificent work, Dodo."

She quietly left the room and the Hatter said, "Right. Well. I'll just leave you to the dress then."

He went inside, locked the door, and leaned against it. Sliding down until he was sitting, he put his head in his hands and asked himself what in Witzend was wrong with him. He didn't like Chesire any more than he liked the White Knight or the Red Knight, or even the Duchess…. Right? All of his thoughts were so jumbled concerning her, and they were in such a mess that he rose and yelled, "THERE'S NO TIME FOR RIDDLES SUCH AS THAT!"

Chesire heard yelling from inside of the bathroom and shook her head. Carefully opening the box, she undressed and changed into the dress. She scrutinized herself in the full-length mirror, seeing if it looked alright on her. She could hear banging noises from inside, and she hurriedly changed back into her thigh-high socks, brown booty shorts, and her sheer brown shirt. The Hatter came out with a blue dress shirt while drying his face with a white towel.

"Why haven't you worn the gown yet?"

"….I've decided-"

"You swore to me that you wouldn't go back on your word."

"Let me finish." she snapped.

He hung the towel around his neck and waited. Satisfied that he would stay quiet, she picked up her cut-off sentence with, "I've decided to wear this when I prepare for the Ball and not before."

He opened his mouth to object and she said, "It fits fine. Don't worry about the fitting."

"I know it fits like a glove. I tailored it. I just wanted to see you in it."

"You saw me last night."

"The lighting wasn't very good."

"Excuses. Aren't you busy today, what with making sure everything is executed correctly?"

"Oh, YES! I have to go, Chesire dear. What are you going to do?"

"Interesting question. What _should_ I do? I'm not going back to my house though. It's too far for me to walk, get ready, and then walk back."

"You're welcome to stay here."

"Whether I'm welcome or not, I'm planning on staying here."

"But where are you going to be at Witzend Manor?"

"Here."

"I _know_ you're going to stay here, I meant where here?"

"_Here. _In your room."

"To do _what_?"

"Sleep properly. Sofas are utterly wretched places to sleep."

"…. You're not going to be persuaded to go to the guest bedroom, will you?"

"Nope."

Sighing, he said, "Very well then. I'll be outside for the majority of the day, and Dodo will be inside cleaning along with 20 other maids."

She nodded and he slipped the towel off his shoulders and hung it on the back of the chair. He left and closed the door behind him. Chesire, true to her word, stayed in the bedroom, but she didn't sleep. Instead, she went to the double French doors and opened them. She stepped out onto the spacious balcony. Walking towards the railing, she gazed down lazily at the world until she spotted the Hatter.

He was at the top of the long staircase that ran from the back of the Manor to the beginning of the large fields that served as his backyard. Men and all sorts of creatures were carrying tables, chairs, and cut pieces of marble to the field that was slowly being decorated. The trees that clustered here and there were strung with fairy lights, while small fire pits were set up. The Hatter paced up and down on the top step, overseeing everything. Once, a worker had put something in the wrong place and he ran down, or at least tried to, and gave him a lecture on the proper way to set down the correct thing in the correct place.

Soon, everything was set up. In the center of the tables was a large marble floor with alternating colors of black and white. From her point of view in the third story balcony, it looked like a chessboard for giants. Soon, multitudes of maids filed out of the house. Tablecloths billowed up as they were laid down on the circular tables. The chairs were dusted off and were put on with matching, pale cushions. Plates, cutlery, and glasses were distributed, and soon, the orchestra arrived. They went directly to the stage behind the long line of banquet tables and began to unpack and tune.

When there was about an hour and a half before the first guests were due to arrive, he came back inside completely sweaty. Finding Chesire on the balcony, he asked, "What are you doing out here?"

"Looking at the setting up of your supposedly magnificent-"

"Mad."

"-mad Masquerade. It doesn't look very mad."

"Oh, but that's only because the events haven't started yet."

"Events?"

"Games. Wonderful, lovely games to entertain us all. And then the dancing itself. It shall be the most talked about social occasion of the century!"

"We'll see. Are you going to get ready now?"

"I am. Don't come into the bathroom."

"Why in the world would I want to go in there while you're using it?"

"I've no idea what goes on in that head of your's, Chesire."

"Well know this then. I've not the slightest motivation to just barge into the bathroom while you're preparing yourself."

"Excellent. Now if you'll excuse me….."

The Duchess, dressed in a provocative dress made of green satin, entered the entrance hall of Witzend Manor. The sun was just beginning to set behind her and she was completely taken by excitement and great expectations for tonight's party. The dormouse, in a royal blue suit, was arm-in-arm with her, and completely taken, not by excitement, but by his success of managing to persuade the Duchess to escort her to the Masquerade. Behind them stood a growing line of couples, who among them were the Fawn and the Sea Turtle, the Lobster and the Griffin, the Caterpillar with her hookah, the Walrus and the Carpenter, and surprisingly, the Jabberwocky and the White Rabbit. The March Hare was to come later, or that was what she had yelled at the calm White Rabbit. While they were waiting to greet the host, the Rabbit held up her mobile phone and said, "Jabberwocky, let's take a picture for my memories."

**A/N: Lelouch's suit is similar to Zero's suit**

The host himself was all nerves. In a dark purple and gold suit, he anxiously tugged at the pastel purple scarf tucked into his closed jacket. His mask was one that covered his entire face; the upper two-thirds of the mask was engraved with artistic silver swirls while the underlying layer was painted a black. Nodding to each one of his guests, he was pleased to see people look around in wonder once they set foot outside.

When the majority of the invitees had arrived, he left his post by the door and went to search for the Dodo. Instead, the White Knight caught him and said, "You need to come to the staircase right now, Hatter."

"I'm a little busy right now with some-"

"It can wait. The White King and Queen have arrived, and Their Heartnesses are not far behind, along with their Rednesses."

"Oh, why do all of the monarchs have to come all at once?"

"I'm not sure. I think it's like a competition. But you should go up and met them at the stairs personally and escort them to their table."

"Why can't you do it?"

The White Knight was talking to the Hatter at a furious speed, trying to persuade him to meet the royals. However he completely ignored him and was looking at the slender figure making its way down the stairs carefully. The conversations in the field ceased as everyone else turned to see who it was that was attracting their conversation partner's attention.

The White Knight finally turned around to see what the Hatter was staring at and his jaw dropped open. The host said, "Close your mouth, my friend. You look utterly moronic."

"Is that… Is that _Chesire_?"

"I believe so…. I'll be right back. Excuse me."

Taking his mask off, he thrust into the hands of the dumbfounded military man and made his way to the lone girl, just standing in front of everyone, raised above them as if she were on a stage. Going up the stairs two at a time, he met her and asked, "Is this the dress?"

She nodded. Taking her gloved hand, the Hatter swept off his eggplant purple top hat and bowed while giving her hand a kiss. Straightening up, he said to her, "Never before have I ever seen anybody more deserving to be Queen."

Just then, a high voice broke through the silence of awe and said, "Are you saying that the Chesire Cat should be queen, and not I, The Queen of Hearts?!"

**A/N: Ch. 7 should be coming out fairly soon. Stay tuned! Please review!**


	7. Not Such A Good Start

**A/N: Honestly, if I were just joking around, I would title this, "Well, That Escalated Quickly" but….. I half want to, and half don't want to. Be warned…. It gets to be pretty heavy stuff.**

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass****, ****Nunnally in Wonderland****, and ****Alice in Wonderland**** are not my property.**

Ch. 6

Dry from her bubble bath and smelling like a mixture of lavender and honeysuckle, she took the dress off of the coat hanger, which was clinging onto a hook in the Hatter's walk-in closet's door. Slipping into it, she examined herself in the mirror inside of the closet.

It was a one-shouldered, floor length dress made of gold satin. A few inches beneath the hip line was a long slit to the hem of the evening gown. The bodice had two cloth belts around the stomach area from the same material from the skirt of the dress. There was a section from the bodice that had tiny, gold sequins, which glinted in the light.

She left the bathroom and into the bedroom when there was a knock on the door. Opening, a blonde head appeared. The friendly woman said, "I brought something for you, Chesire."

The Duchess came into the room and held three boxes in her hands. Setting them down on various towers of notebooks, she said, "I snuck in here through the back door and was in the kitchen with Dodo. She said she was supposed to bring these boxes to you, so I offered. Apparently, they're from the Hatter."

"The Hatter?"

"Mmhmm. Do you know what's inside? They feel pretty heavy."

Chesire opened each one of them. The first box held a large, black velvet case. Taking it out carefully, she lifted the lid as the curious Duchess looked over her shoulder. The blonde woman let out a gasp as they both saw what was inside.

A white-gold diamond necklace gleamed. It had a design of swirling leaves and filigree, while there were matching diamond earrings. Clearly expensive, the Duchess asked, "Is Hatter courting you?"

"What?"

"Why else would he give you a gift like this? Goodness, not even my fiancé, the Carpenter, has given me something even close to this."

Chesire hurriedly closed the box, completely befuddled as to why he would even think, much less give something of this caliber to her, she set it down on the bed. Going to the second case, she saw it held a pair of delicate, gold stilettos heels. Picking them up, she sat down on the chair and slipped them on. She was utterly surprised even further that he had gotten the shoe size correct. The Duchess appraised her clothes and said, "Chesire, I think…. The Masquerade alone is expensive, but to think he even bought these…. I'm amazed he's not gone bankrupt."

"He said that he made a lot of money through his hats." she replied simply. The Duchess said, "What if he's doing something else beside selling hats? Something illegal? What's his secret? How does he have so much money? What do you think?"

The Cat shrugged and stood up, balancing herself. Suddenly grasping her hand, the Duchess said, "Chesire, follow me!"

She dragged her back into the bathroom and sat her down on a stool in front of the mirror. Grabbing a brush lying on the counter, she began to brush out the Cat's long, vert hair. The excited woman opened her silver clutch and found an invisible hair tie. Pulling Chesire's hair into a knotted ponytail, she said, "I have a question for you."

She didn't answer and the Duchess continued, "Do you like the Hatter?"

"Do I like him?"

"Personally, I think you do."

"Now why is that?"

"Unless you like the man, how else are you able to put up with him? Anyone and everyone in Wonderland knows how you two are always together. You've even earned the joking nickname as the Hatter's mistress."

"…"

"But I've been studying how you two interact with each other, and I've come upon the conclusion that, even if you don't like him, he loves you."

"You've been _studying_ us?"

"Hasn't he done anything to make you at least suspect that he likes you? As more than just a companion."

She immediately thought of what had _almost_ happened last night before Dodo had interrupted. She also remembered her conversation with the mad man, and how he had also said that he was just as susceptible to falling in love as the next person.

"No." was her answer. The woman behind her smiled slyly and asked, "Oh really? Why is your face pink all of a sudden? You just remembered something, didn't you?"

"It's because it's a little warm."

"I don't think so." she sang.

"It doesn't matter what you think or not. It's the truth."

But Chesire knew that she had just lied, and also knew that the Duchess knew that she was lying. She refused to say anything more on the subject however, and the busy noblewoman moved onto the Cat's makeup. She sat completely still, as if she were stalking something, and when she moved away, she stood up so that she was nearly eye-level with her.

The Duchess smiled and said kindly, "You look beautiful, Chesire. I'm sure the Hatter will be pleasantly surprised."

"Pleasantly sur…. Why would he be pleasantly surprised?!"

"Don't forget that he's a man too."

Leaving before she could give a counter-attack, the Duchess seemed to disappear out of thin air. Alone again, she went back outside to the balcony. The sun was beginning to set and already the carriages had begun to arrive. As the sky became darker and darker, the lights of the Masquerade's set-up area were being lit. When she had grown sufficiently bored of watching people file inside arm-in-arm while chattering, she went back inside to the house. Then she noticed the forgotten box.

Sitting down in the chair, she opened it and saw there was a black mask inside. There was a golden lace border, and two pieces of dark ribbon on the two ends of the mask. Inside, there was a note. Taking it out, she saw in the Hatter's swirly and elaborate handwriting, she could read:

Hello, Chesire. I knew you would forget it's a _masquerade_, my dear, so I picked out one for you. Please do try to get into the festive mood and participate. Oh, how I would just love for you to enjoy the ball. I'll see you at the Masquerade, then.

Your's,

M. Hatter

Deciding that it wouldn't hurt to listen to him for once, she slipped the mask under her bangs and tied it behind her head. Turning the lamps off, she left the Hatter's bedroom and made her way downstairs.

Most of the guests had already arrived and were outside mingling, when she ventured outside. The stares from everyone made her feel self-conscious, and she stood at the top of the marble staircase. Suddenly, she could see the Hatter jogging up to her. Before his cape had even settled onto the ground, he kissed her hand and said, "Never before have I ever seen anybody more deserving to be Queen."

Thankful that the rapidly darkening sky hid her embarrassment at his compliment, she was about to reply to him when she heard an ever familiar voice ask, "Are you saying that the Chesire Cat should be queen, and not I, The Queen of Hearts?!"

They both looked towards the spread open double doors to see the King and Queen of Hearts. Leaving the Cat, the Hatter strode up to the Hearts Royalty and said, "Of course not, your Heartness."

"Then _what_, pray tell, was the meaning of _her_ deserving to Queen more than _me_?"

"I…. Uh…."

"Please, Hatter, I came here to attend a gala, not to behead you and the Cat."

"I was referring to the events planned for later on, your Heartness."

"Events?"

"Yes. I planned a few games to play and entertain all of us."

"There's to be a _Queen_ in the game?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"And I'm _not_ going to be the Queen?"

"No, because there's a higher position, that is more fitting for your Heartness."

"What higher position is there than Queen?"

"I-"

A new voice broke into the conversation and asked, "Queen? There's a better title than Queen?"

The White King and Queen appeared behind them, as did the monarchs of Red. All six royal guests formed a semi-circle with the Hatter in the center. All at once, they began to ask questions and demand answers. The Red and White Knights came to the flustered Hatter's aid and escorted their respective leaders to their tables.

"Marianne…" said the King of Hearts timidly.

"What is it?" she practically snarled at him, and despite his large stature, he shrunk away from her. Coldly, she said, "I would like to speak with you, Mad Hatter."

"As you wish, your Heartness."

The two left the estranged King and went into an empty parlour room. Neither sat on any of the plush seats and there was an uncomfortable silence between them. Finally, she asked, "What was the meaning of that…. Completely false compliment to the Chesire Cat?"

"Your Heartness, I didn't actually mean being Queen literally, it was in the context of-"

"It doesn't matter what _kind_ of context it is, it matters that you said it. Soon, you'll be saying that she's a beautiful, immortal being who has the ability to give people supernatural powers."

"That's silly. Nobody can be immortal."

"I want you to go to Chesire and say that you didn't really mean what you said."

"….."

"Why are you not answering?"

"…. I can't, your Heartness."

"What?!"

"…. I can't lie to her. She really is quite charming tonight, and-"

"Hatter. You must realize you're in no position to refuse my command. By the end of tonight, I can have the whole of Wonderland hating you, because you deceived them."

"I wasn't the only one. I'm not the only one in on this plan."

"But who would the people listen to? A mad man, or a Queen?"

"I never thought that you would stoop so-"

"I never thought that I would have to, but desperate needs call for desperate measures."

"I apologize, but I just can't."

"….. Then you're saying that you don't mind my going out and just announcing that the lost prince, the heir to the Hearts throne, is standing right in front of me?"

"Lost? Lost?! Is that really how you describe me as?"

"Please, Hatter. I've no time to spare for your childish rantings."

"You _deserted_ me. Since I was always weak, you left your own child alone. You _threw him away_. He's not _lost_, he's been _abandoned_ by the two people he thought he could trust!"

"You and your dramatacism! You should know by now. You're a grown man. In this world, there is nothing-"

"My dramatacism?! What about your _ideals_? Because of those stupid ideals, you threw away your only son! I may be mad, but at least I'm not inhuman!" he spat.

With an eerily calm face, the Queen slapped him hard. In a cold voice, she said, "This is where anyone can easily see why we disowned you. You're influenced by emotions too much. You would never have made a decent King."

She left the room, and when the door swung shut behind her, the Hatter fell to his knees.

He was utterly and completely lost in his past.

Images and memories of being led out of his only home when he was only a small boy.

The Duchess's kind family taking him in.

Rumours of the lost prince.

His first time seeing a milliner at his trade.

Entering his first competition.

The Queen of Hearts, his own mother, breaking his fingers once she saw him at the contest.

The grief…

The pain…

The despair…

He didn't hear the door open, nor did he noticed someone come and kneel by him.

"Hatter?"

He paid no attention to the person who found him, and the "visitor" put their hand on his cheek. They turned his face so that he could see who it was.

"Fawn…."

"Hatter, why are you crying?"

"Crying?" he whispered.

"Oh, you poor man…. What's making you feel so much sorrow?"

"My mind… My terrible memories…"

The Fawn hugged him and he only sat on the floor in silent torment.

"Hatter?"

He turned to see Chesire standing in the doorway. She had a fairly neutral expression, as passive as always, but it was all he needed. Breaking away from the Fawn, he stood up and walked unsteadily to the confused Cat. He half-collapsed, half-hugged her and buried his tear-streaked face in the crook of her neck. Hesitantly, she patted him on the back and said in a soothing voice, "It'll pass soon… No pain is permanent, Hatter. It'll get better."

**A/N: You get what I meant when I said I half-wanted to title this chapter, "Well, That Escalated Quickly"? Mmmmmmm…. Yeah. But like I said, it's going to be pretty heavy… I think. I'm not sure. Who knows? The only thing I do know though, is that this story is going on longer than I thought, but…. Nobody's complaining….. Right? :-)**


	8. Spinzaku and Checkmate!

**A/N: Yay, another chapter!**

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass****, ****Nunnally in Wonderland****, and ****Alice in Wonderland**** are not my property.**

Ch. 7

The Fawn ran away, coming upon the conclusion that she had been jilted by the dejected Hatter. Pushing out of the doorway, she knocked down Chesire and the Hatter while she ran out of the room. She sat on the floor, patiently waiting for the Hatter's pain to subside. When he seemed to relax, she asked, "Are you feeling better now?"

"Chesire?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for doing this to you all of a sudden. I have no idea what I was thinking when I did that."

"It's fine… You were obviously hurt somehow, and just needed to lean on someone for a while… Although most people don't do it literally."

He cracked a small smile at her joke, and said, "What in the world am I doing here? All of the guests will be wondering where I am!"

She was relieved to see him at least picking himself back up again and return to the Hatter that she knew. He rushed out of the room, but Chesire didn't follow. Instead, she thought about what had happened.

She had heard him and the Queen arguing in the room, and what had been accidentally revealed to her wasn't surprising to her. Although most creatures tended to stay away from the King and Queen of Hearts unless absolutely necessary, no one felt any resentment, hatred, or negative feelings towards the two.

Except for the Mad Hatter.

The strange anger he had towards them wasn't the only thing that aroused her suspicions towards the mystery of the prince who had disappeared into thin air one day. His hair was the exact same shade of black as Marianne, the proud and slightly deranged Queen of Hearts, while the King's eyes and the Hatter's eyes seemed to be exactly the same color.

The Hatter also evaded any questions about his childhood. All anybody knew about him was that he had just become known as a millinery prodigy at the young age of 11, and had bested any and everyone at both creating hats and the highly intellectual game of chess. But now Chesire was in on the secret, and nobody knew she had knowledge of his traumatizing past.

Standing up, she sighed and decided she would have to tell the man that she knew, lest she got involved into sticky politics and dangerous family affairs. She left the room and saw the Hatter come out of the bathroom, with every trace of his sorrow completely erased. He spotted her and smiled while asking, "Chesire! Are you going back outside?"

She nodded, newly fascinated by how his façade was so completely un-inclined to let on what kind of childhood he had had. Walking to her, he offered her his arm and she hesitantly took it. They went outside together, where all of the guests were nervous from the disappearance of the host. Standing above everyone on the stairs, he unhooked himself from Chesire, who stood a little behind him. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Mad Masquerade!"

Thunderous applause erupted and he relished the clapping. When it had died down sufficiently, he continued, "When I received the tremendous honor of winning the Annual Wonderland Visage Competition, I was told that, unless I refused, I would be the host for the Wonderland Ball, the largest social gathering in all of our beautiful country, I was completely and utterly raptured! However! There was one problem. What to plan for the Ball? How to make it more unique, more interesting? What should I do to create a party that would be forever remembered? And then I thought of it. Games. A competitive form of play or sport, won by skill, strength, or luck. Enjoyed by all, from the elderly, to the newborn child. So I have decided that this year's Wonderland Ball, will be the Wonderland Masquerade! Under the safety of anonymity, even those who pretend to be weak can go and show what they can really do!"

There was another round of applause and he said, "On your plate, inside of the folded napkin, there should be a card! The card will either have the number 0 or the number 1! Those with the number 1 should go to the red corner!"

Just then, out of nowhere, a red flood light turned on, saying clearly that this was where the red corner was. The Hatter instructed, "Those with the number 0 go to the blue corner!"

On the opposite corner, a blue light lit up.

"Let the games begin!"

Everyone hurried to their respective corners and Chesire asked, "Where am I supposed to go?"

"You are with me."

"How do you know?"

"Because I planned the seating, and you're at the same table as me. We're zero."

"Zero…. As in nothing."

"And from nothing, we shall rise to victory."

"What's the first game?"

"There are only two games."

"Two?"

"Unimpressed?"

"Yes."

"The guests do have to eat, and then they'll also want to dance."

"That's true…. But only two? After all of that fuss you created about how great it will be? Two games?"

"Oh, shush, Chesire."

"What are the two games?"

Grinning widely, he replied, "Chess."

"Chess? How are nearly a hundred people going to play chess?"

"Look down at the dance floor, Chesire dear. What does it look like to you?"

"A giant chessbo…. You…. I can't believe this. I can't believe the floor, but moreover, I can't believe _you_. Where in the world did you get an idea for this?"

"Kings and Queens, leaders of subjects and followers, always play chess with people's lives during war or battle. Why not do it for fun with literally real people?"

She shook her head at him in incredulity and he continued, "Besides….. If I'm going to beat the Red King once and for all, I might as well do it on one of the largest chessboards in the history of Wonderland."

"You really hate losing to him, don't you?"

"That's a given!"

Grabbing her hand, he led her down and stepped onto a strangely metallic surface. There were handrails in a u-shape, and a small, square table that was black. He said, "Will the Legion of One's leader step up to the table?!"

The King and Queen of Hearts both went to the table. Behind them were the White King and Queen, along with the Red King and Queen. Suddenly, the metal areas they were on started to rise. Somewhere nearby, speakers said: "Your card will now light up. On the back of the card will be a chess piece. Please arrange yourselves accordingly and look to your leader for instructions."

Everyone moved as the orders had asked them, but not without talking in awe as they finally understood that they would be literally playing chess. When they had all settled down, the Hatter asked, "Would you prefer to go first, your Redness?"

"Pawn d2 to d4."

The tables began to glow and showed a virtual chessboard, but with real pieces, instead of people. Chesire went to it and asked, "It's us against them?"

"Why not? I can't think of a more fairy-tale legend. Two, the Mad Hatter and the Chesire Cat, against the Kings and Queens of Wonderland in an epic game of chess. And they, the two companions, come out victorious over the monarchs. Just imagine the reaction from the crowd-"

"I think you should focus on the game at hand right now, Hatter, rather than fantasize about your victory."

"Oh right. Thank you, Chesire dear."

The game was surprisingly fast-paced, with the strategists scrambling to outwit the other. The Mad Hatter himself had taken off his cape and jacket, now standing only wearing his pants, shirt, and vest. His opponents looked none too relaxed either.

Tugging off the pale violet scarf, he handed it to Chesire, who was calmly sitting in a chair while holding the clothes the Hatter seemed to be just shedding as the match became more and more intense. Those who had been captured watched from their tables and ate dinner while speaking in low tones, discussing the game.

"Hatter."

"What is it?"

"I think… It's time to use him."

"Do you really think so?"

"You're so close, but if you do this the wrong way, you'll miss the opportunity."

"…. Very well."

He chose his command and his enemies protested, saying that it was unfair. Laughing madly, he said, "THE ONLY ONES WHO SHOULD PLAY ARE THE ONES PREPARED TO PLAY! GO FORTH, KNIGHT, AT ONCE!"

The White Knight jumped up and spun in the air. He kicked over the Carpenter, who went sprawling. The Knight, who was in character, pulled out his sword and pointed the razor sharp tip at the Jabberwocky, who was standing in as King of the white pieces.

"CHECKMATE!" the Hatter announced, full of exhilaration. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, and he bowed as the platforms were lowered. Turning to Chesire, he said, "We did it, Chesire!"

"_You_ did it."

"Nonsense. If it weren't for you, I never would have been able to accomplish this if it weren't for the advice and power you gave me."

"Power?"

He didn't answer and instead, went up on the orchestra's stage. He said, "After dinner, there will be a game of croquet for anyone willing to play!"

"Croquet?" asked the White Queen. The Knight of White immediately went to her side and carefully explained that it wasn't the prejudiced game that the Queen of Hearts enjoyed playing, but the ideal croquet of the Her Highness. Calmed down, she happily went to take a seat. She said, "Suzaku, please sit down."

"Your Highness! You must address me as White Knight at all formal-"

"I came here to enjoy myself, and you're not letting me." she said while pouting. Pulling back a chair next to her, she motioned for him to take a seat. He stood still, indecision filling his mind, when the monarch with hair the color of bubblegum sighed and said, "White Knight, I order you to sit down next to me and enjoy dinner."

He sat down, all hesitancy gone. Excusing himself, he removed his sword and gun and set them down behind his chair. As he turned back to face the table, the White Queen added, "And don't call me your Highness when we're like this. Just call me Euphie. Like you used to when we were younger."

"Yes…. Euphie."

"See, it wasn't that hard, was it?"

All of the monarchs were sitting at a special banquet table that were on a dais above all of the others, along with the host. He was sitting in the middle of the lengthy dining table, Chesire on his right and the Queen of Hearts on his left. The Mad Hatter had to admit to himself that he had made a grave mistake in seating the despicable sovereign besides him. He said nothing throughout dinner, and surprisingly, the Cat said nothing either, as if she understood that he was trying to go through the meal without having to converse with Marianne.

When the last dishes had been whisked away by the serving men and women, he stood up from his seat and clapped his hands. Gaining the undivided attention of everyone, he declared that it was now the time to move onto the popular game of croquet.

. . .

"Of course you win in chess, but you lose in anything that has to do with physical superiority."

"I always say brains over brawn."

"Oh, excuses. You're a man, aren't you Hatter? Why don't you go out and exercise? Strengthen your body."

"I try, but whenever I do, I always manage to find inspiration about 2 seconds in, and then I have to sketch it before I forget it."

Chesire rolled her eyes, seeing right through his stories. They were sitting at the table again, watching the guests waltz on the giant chessboard. The Queen of Hearts, having won the croquet tournament, was in good spirits again, and was actually dancing with the King of Hearts. The Dormouse was waltzing with the Duchess, who's fiancé was twirling the Walrus around. The Cat looked down on them and said in a wistful tone, "They're all dancing down there. Humpty Dumpty and Tweedle-Dum, the Red King and Queen…. The Griffin and the Lobster made up apparently, as they're there. Fawn and the Sea Turtle… Even the White Rabbit and the Jabberwocky. And who else is there….? Oh, there's your friend, the White Knight and…. Oh my. Is that allowed?"

"What is it?"

"He's with the White Queen."

"Leave them be…. I think they like each other."

"Do they really?"

He nodded, and Chesire continued to peer down, just watching them with what seemed like…. Jealousy? Shocked by her feelings, she tried to reason that it couldn't be envy for those who were waltzing. Why would _she_ be wanting to be down there? And even if she were, who would she dance _with_?

The Hatter said something but she didn't hear him. Distractedly, she asked him to repeat what he had said one more time, and this time, she caught what he had asked her.

"Would you like to dance, Chesire?"

"…. Dance?"

He was sitting up and was earnestly looking at her. They just stared at each other in the low lighting while the crickets chirped and the orchestra played a lively song. The hopeful light in his violet eyes faded and he said, "Well… I mean, only if you want to. It was just a though-"

"Yes."

"Huh?"

"Yes, I would like to dance, Hatter."

**A/N: Not completely sure if there'll be a new chapter tomorrow…. But be on the lookout!**


	9. Putting Things Out In The Open

**A/N: FINAL CHAPTER!**

**Disclaimer: Transatlanticism, Code Geass, Nunnally in Wonderland, or Alice in Wonderland are not my property.**

Ch. 8

He stood up and extended a hand towards her. Taking it, they were about to go down the stairs, when the Hatter ceased walking and faced her. Chesire was about to ask why they had they had stopped when he reached behind her head and untied her mask. It fell off her face and he caught it. Smiling, he said, "That's better. Now I can see you completely."

She blushed and they continued to go down. Once they were on the marble floor, the already-dancing couples moved to make room for them. The tall man had left both his hat and his mask at the table also, so she could easily see his visage. Beaming at her, he carefully placed his right hand on her back and his left held her right hand gently. Putting her remaining hand behind his neck, she nodded at her partner to tell him that she was ready and they began to move. However, it wasn't long before the waltz ended and a slow song began.

**A/N: The song is "Transatlanticism" by Death Cab For Cutie**

Surprisingly, not many people left, and the guests left on the dance floor changed the way they were holding each other. The Mad Hatter looked down at the green-haired girl, who in turn stared at him. He started to say, "We can go back if you-"

She stepped closer and replied, "I still want to, Hatter."

He was taken aback; not even two days ago had she jumped on his head and made him perform a painful face-plant. But here she was, claiming that she still had the desire to dance with him, even though it was a slow one.

He also walked forward, effectively eradicating the space between them. They moved slowly and Chesire felt a little shy all of a sudden. She turned her face away, so she could avoid making eye contact accidentally when he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"No." she fibbed.

"Hmmm…. Then why won't you look at me?"

Changing her line of vision back to him, she replied, "I am looking at you."

"You weren't before. Were you being shy just now?"

"No!"

He laughed, obviously seeing right through her.

"Don't worry, Chesire, my love, I'm feeling a bit shy too right now."

"But I'm not feeling sh-"

"Yes you are. I can tell, before you object, because you have my hand in a vice-grip right now. I don't think I'm getting any blood circulated to my fingers."

She stopped squeezing his hand so hard and he asked, "Why are you so nervous? Is it the dress? Do you not like it?"

"No, the dress is fine…"

"Then what's putting you on edge?"

"I…. Were you telling the truth when you said you're feeling shy right now?"

"Yes I was."

"…. To be honest, so am I."

"Birds of a feather flock together…. Do you know why?"

"I'm not completely sure."

"I know why _I'm_ so nervous."

"Is it because people may not like the party?"

"Oh Chesire, I already _know_ people like it. Look around, my dear."

She could see people smiling and talking, clearly satisfied and enjoying the Ball. Turning him again, she questioned, "Then what is it?"

"Guess."

"I can't think of any reason why."

"I'll give you a hint then. It's a woman."

"Is it…. Is it the Queen of Hearts?"

A look of bewilderment crossed his face and he said, "Why would I be nervous because of _her_?"

She shrugged and he shook his head. His eyes crinkled as he smiled and he said, "I'll tell you why if you really want to know."

"I do."

They didn't notice the song finish playing and simply stood, staring at each other. The Hatter said, "I finally figured it out when I saw you coming down the stairs." as he let go of her.

"Figured what out?"

"Why I drew all of those dresses for you, why I feel so jittery whenever I'm near you, why I'm…."

"I'm?"

He gulped and continued, "Why I'm always thinking about you."

She stared at him in astonishment and he said in a rushed voice, "I've been ruminating for a long time about the cause for all of those strange feelings and actions, and when I saw you coming down with the dress and the necklace that I gave you, it finally clicked into place and I realized that I actually…. Well, I actually…. I love you."

Her bullion eyes widened from what he had declared and he hurried to say, "You probably don't feel the same, but I just thought you should know before I do anything really strange and-"

"Hatter." she cut in quietly.

"Yes?"

"How do you know that I don't feel the same?"

He was speechless as he processed her words.

"Then… Does that mean…?"

"I'm… I'm not sure…. But I know that I would be lying if I said that I knew for sure that I didn't… Reciprocate your feelings."

"Does that mean I have a chance?"

"A chance for what?"

"To make you fall in love with me. For sure."

"Oh, Hatter, that's so incredibly cheesy-"

"Chesire."

Her wandering eyes went back to the Mad Hatter and he said in a steady voice, "I love you."

She didn't even blink, surprise still forming. Grabbing her around her waist, his face came closer and Chesire closed her eyes, wondering what it would be like when he kissed her.

But he never did.

A loud cracking sound interrupted them. It sounded like a bomb exploding and the woman in the gold dress's eyes snapped open. Above them, a flurry of sparks were falling, and there was a whining sound. Another explosion, and several fireworks went off. The crowd, who had moved off of the huge game board, was oohing and aahing at the bright colors. She looked to the Hatter, whose eyes were also open. He was going through mixed emotions; glad that the guests appreciated the display, he was filled with pride with having planned a magnificent ball, but he was also cursing silently, wondering why he couldn't have ordered for the show to start even a second later.

Letting go of her, he asked awkwardly, "Would you like to go closer?"

Never before had she felt so much vexation, but she managed to say in a civil voice, "Yes."

Taking her hand, he entwined their fingers together and when she didn't pull away, he led her towards the back of the large audience. They simply stood, staring at the sky while holding hands, but not saying anything. Both of them were frustrated at how they had been cut off, but were afraid to say anything lest the other thought of them in a strange way.

When it ended, the Masquerade was clearly over and the guests began to intermingle again, saying their farewells to each other and promising to visit the next day to discuss the Wonderland Ball in great detail and excitement. The Hatter went inside to stand by the door to thank everyone for coming, when Chesire slipped out from the crowd and joined him. He was surprised, but pleasantly, and his anger was quieted down slightly.

Soon, the only people left at Witzend Manor were the Dodo, the servants, chefs, and the Hatter and Cat. He asked, "Are you planning to go home now?"

"Yes. I'm tired."

"Why don't you stay and sleep here?"

"No! I… That came out the wrong way. I just want to go home right now."

"Of course…. But at least let me take you home."

"Take me home?"

"In the carriage. You'll have a hard time walking home in those shoes."

The gold stilettos peeked out from under the hem of her dress, as if emphasizing the truth in what he had said. Sighing, she consented and he asked her to wait a little while the carriage was being sent for. Sitting down on a red chaise, she leaned against the arm of the sofa, but soon sleep took her and her green hair stood out as it was splayed everywhere and she was slumped over. The Hatter reappeared and looked down at her fast asleep.

Smiling not unkindly, he squatted down in front of her and carefully swept her hair away. He said to himself, "Whatever shall we do with you, Chesire?"

He remained in his crouching position, drinking in the rare appearance of the Cat, when the footman came and said, "Sir, the carriage has been prepared."

"We'll be right there. Please open the door, James."

"Yes sir. Will you be needing me to carry the lady?"

Kneeling on the divan, he slid his arms underneath her back and her thighs. Standing up quite gracefully for someone with no physical prowess at all, he replied, "Not at all."

Her head rolled so that she was leaning against his chest. The door was luckily opened, and the Hatter set her down gently on the cushioned seat. Before going in himself, he told James, "To Chesire's cottage, please."

"Yes sir."

The footman closed the door behind his employer and got up besides the coachman, who flicked the reins so that the horses began to trot. Inside, the Hatter sat opposite from the sleeping woman, who was surprisingly sitting very much upright for someone dreaming.

"How in the world did you manage to carry me?" she asked.

"You're awake?"

"I just woke up. But how did you carry me? And why? You could've just woken me up."

"I carried you because it was a reward for letting me just look at your sleeping face."

She grumbled, "You should've done that when I was _awake_."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"But you were very beautiful."

"…."

"When you were sleeping. So calm… So quiet…. Not making any snarky remarks…"

"Do you _really_ love me?" she asked in a suspicious tone.

"Chesire, I love you and I love your personality. I even love your cutting comments."

"Very funny."

"It's true."

"Then why can't you prove it to me?"

"How am I supposed to prove it to you? It's an abstract object."

"I don't know. Think of way to."

A silence ensued and they quickly reached her cottage. The carriage turned so that the door was facing the entrance of her house, but she made no move to get out. He made no move to tell her that they had arrived. The Hatter suddenly noticed how much sorrow he felt at having to say goodbye to her.

"Well…." he trailed off, not quite sure what to say. The Chesire, for some odd reason, found herself to be expecting something, but wasn't able to figure out what. When a long time had passed, she opened the door and stepped out. Shutting the door behind her, she began to walk the short way to the gate to her small abode when she heard, "Chesire!"

Looking back, she saw the Hatter leaning out of the window. He waved her to come back and she asked, "What is it?"

"Oh, just come here."

Going back, she went to the open carriage window and to the Hatter, whose upper body was entirely out of the coach. Brushing the top of her head, he said, "There was something on your head."

"You told me to walk all the here because of something that _I_ could've done?!"

"No, silly. You can't do this by yourself."

This time, before anything or anyone could intercept them again, he pushed forward and kissed her lightly on the mouth. The Cat was shocked, but pleased nonetheless. They broke apart and the mad man, grinning widely from his accomplishment, said, "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow…?"

"Tomorrow it is! Although, goodness, even tomorrow is too long…. I'll probably stay up all night from the excitement for tomorrow… Good night, Chesire! Sweet dreams!"

The horses began to start moving, and soon she was alone. Stretching, she leaned back and looked to the star-studded sky. Inhaling deeply, she yelled, "Finally!"

Her exuberant exclamation slightly echoed, causing for some nearby sleeping animals to stir, but she couldn't care less. After all, she was Chesire the Cat, the most passive, self-important being in Wonderland, but she was also the person the Hatter was madly in love with.

**A/N: Alright. Final chapter. That was it. BUUUUUUUUUT... Okay, when I was writing the first chapter of this, it was originally going to be three chapters long... Yeah right, that worked out well. As I was writing this though, and in the later chapters, I was forced to face a choice. Either go on a plot extension, which I _really_ wanted to do, or just leave it be. Because, as much as I want to, I don't want it to be _too_ long. So I set up a poll (it should be on my profile) whether you guys want a sequel or not... I think it'll help in my decision on whether I should or not. So yeah, please vote!**


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